


Stardust and Moonrust

by insecurelove



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-06-24 06:04:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15624216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insecurelove/pseuds/insecurelove
Summary: Julian loves Lilah. Asra loves Lilah. Lilah loves them both. Learning to share is hard.





	1. Book i- part i

Lilah stands in the doorway, watching Asra ready himself.  
It is a moonless night, their shop lit by street lamps and a few candles. He says this is the best time to start a journey. Her heart is heavy, reluctant to let him go after he’s just come home. There is a string between them, so taut that she’s afraid it will break any second. Being apart from him makes her ache in a way she doesn’t completely understand.   
“I’ll miss you,” he says, eyes shining. She’s not one for emotional goodbyes. She’d rather not say goodbye at all. “Play around with this while I’m gone,” he adds, pulling out his deck. Surprise washes over her like a tide, pulling her in. Tarot are deeply personal to each practitioner, and for Asra to give her his- well, it's a gesture too big to convey in words.  
“You think I’m ready.” She says, looking up at him through her lashes. He smiles fondly, reaching over to stroke the curve of her cheek. “Yes,” he says. “Do you?”   
“Let’s ask the Arcana.”  
A clever compromise. Asra laughs and her chest warms. This isn’t just her showing off for her master; this is reassurance. She wants him to know she’ll be okay. Usually, Lilah would attempt to convince him to stay, maybe with a new recipe or a secret. But today is different. He has to go. She can’t stop him.  
They move to the back room, settling into the round table. “We haven’t done this in a while,” he remarks, idly. She grins, shooting back, “Because I’ve already perfected it?” It’s a lighthearted joke, banter between friends.  
“Have you?” he says, fascination colouring his tone. “I shouldn’t expect any less, you are very gifted.” Annoyance flares in her chest. Asra is constantly talking about how powerful and talented she is. It’s not true. He puts her on a pedestal when she doesn’t deserve it. But she’s not in the mood to pick a fight today. She just wants to send him off safely.  
There’s movement beneath the table cloth. Lilah feels smooth, scaly skin brush up against her leg. Faust, Asra’s familiar. He grins at her presence. “We’re all here. So let’s begin.” He says.  
She cuts the deck, shuffling to the best of her ability. His gaze follows her fingers, then trails up to her face. Colour rises to her cheeks. She shuffles faster, positioning the cards into a formation. She flips over one.  
The High Priestess.  
“What is she saying?” He asks, leaning over the table. The card speaks to her. Not in any human tongue, but rather, a jumble of noises. But the message she receives is clear.   
“She’s calling to you- but you aren’t listening to her,” Lilah says. Her voice is coming out rushed. “You push her away. Asra you-” His eyebrows are crinkled, face lined with worry. He reaches over to take her hand. He opens his mouth, as if to say something.  
A sharp knock startles all of them.   
“You forgot the lantern again?” He asks, smiling. Asra pulls his arms back into his body, along with them, whatever connection had formed in those seconds. He was going to say something important. But now, she wouldn’t hear them.  
“Regardless, it’s time for me to go,” He says, gathering himself and standing, “Until we meet again. Goodnight Lilah. Take care.”  
The knocking echoes through the building again as Asra flees through the back door and into the moonless night.  
as Asra flees through the back door and into the moonless night.


	2. Book ii: part i

The knock at the door comes again.  
Which bull headed customer would come at this hour? Lilah slowly makes her way over, sighing. Regardless, they are extremely impatient. She stands on her toes and peers into the peephole.  
The customer is tall, and too covered to make out facial features. They have jewels glimmering along their fingers. A noble then. She opens the door.  
“I apologize for the intrusion, but I simply can’t stand another sleepless night,” the figure says as they unwind the shawl from around their neck. “Please read the cards for me.” When the shawl comes undone, Lilah has to stifle a gasp. Countess Satrinava. And to think she’d called her bull headed just seconds ago,  
“I suppose you’ve come to the right place,” she says, hesitantly.  
“Your reputation precedes you. From poor to rich. Although you were a little different in my dream,” the Countess says (Lilah is subjected to a thorough up and down at this point). “No matter. I have a proposal.”  
There’s alot to dissect, so Lilah starts with what seems to be the most simple concept. “Proposal?” She parrots.   
The Countess offers, “Hm. Are you nervous? You don’t have to be. There’s very little you have to do. Be my guest at the palace. You’ll have access to anything you need.”  
Too good to be true. “And what’s my part?” Lilah asks.  
“Bring your skill and the Arcana,” the Countess replies.  
Not really much of a choice there anyway, Lilah muses. Dealing with nobles is tricky, they rarely take well to rejection. Plus, there didn’t really seem to be many negatives with what the Countess offered.  
“I’m at your service.”

“You have chosen wisely. The guards will be expecting you tomorrow. But first, read the cards for me.” the Countess says. Lilah ushers her to the back room, where Asra had been just moments before. The scene plays out similarly, shuffle, arrange, pick.  
The Magician.  
“How appropriate,” the Countess says, approvingly. She stares down at the handsome little fox, asking, “What does he say?”  
Like before, the answer comes clearly. “You have a plan,” Lilah says. “It’s time to put it in action.” Although that’s truly the entire message, she adds some details.   
The Countess rises and heads back into the shop just as Lilah finishes. “Your reading is very much like every other I’ve heard,” she says, scowling. “But yours is the only one that intrigues me.” By the time Lilah catches up, the Countess has already wound the shawl back around her throat and neck and is waiting by the door. Lilah raises an eyebrow, standing her ground.  
The Countess, seemingly amused, opens the door, letting herself out. With a quick farewell, she disappears into the night.  
Lilah sighs, closing the door and collapsing onto the floor of the shop. Apparently it wasn’t just Asra that thought her powerful.  
“Strange hours for a shop to keep.”  
Fear floods her body and she glances around before landing on a figure by the door. Lilah gathers herself, getting to her feet.  
“This is the witch’s lair, so who are you?” The intruder asks, curiously. No time for chit chat, she thinks, swinging for their head. They laugh, and then again when she uses magic.   
“Unfortunately for you, I’ve seen it all befo-”  
She throws a bottle at his head. The intruder yelps and their mask comes loose, falling to the floor. The man is familiar. Doctor Jules.  
“Hm. You’re ballsy. Anyway, where is the witch?” He says.  
“I won’t tell you,” Lilah replies, sounding like a child, even to her ears.   
“Hm,” he says. “I expected as much. Well, come along then. Read me my fortune and I’ll leave you alone.” What a peculiar evening, she thinks, followingly him dumbly to the backroom. He makes himself comfortable in the chair and watches her go through the gestures again.  
Death.  
Dr. Jules says the name of the Arcana, and then again, incredulous this time. He slams his hands down onto the table and gets to his feet. “Death? Death? Death has no interest in an abomination like me,” he barks. Lilah follows him, a little confused, but mostly intrigued.   
“You’ve been mostly kind, so I’ll tell you that the witch will come back for you.” Dr. Jules says, casting a glance around the shop. “He cares for you. But when he comes back, come find me. For your own sake.” He sets the mask back onto his face,  
“He is more dangerous than you could dream.”  
And then, he too is gone.


	3. Book iii- part i

Lilah stays up late to prepare for the palace.  
It’s tiring. She finishes early and escapes to the backroom for a nap. Effortlessly, sleep comes to her in the form of a dream.  
The sky is dark, but beside her is Asra. “Where are we?” She asks. There’s sand everywhere and infront of them, a road of black stone. Perhaps a desert. It doesn’t matter. They’re together.  
“I can’t tell you. And even if I did, you’d have to promise not to follow,” he says. The road seems endless. She’s tired of him going places she can’t follow.  
“Soon there will be a crossroads.”  
“To where?” She asks. He smiles cryptically, saying, “Depends on where you go. But for now, rest.”  
Then, there are no more dreams.  
When she wakes again, it’s early in the morning. She gathers her things and a cloak before locking the door and casting a protection spell (wouldn’t want Dr. Jules getting in again). The fog of the morning is thick, basking the world in a soft, alien glow. Lilah allows herself to be lulled by the beauty of it all for a few moment. Then, she senses another presence. She turns towards the large man in the alley. He is decorated in scars and a dark hood, so obvious and yet vague. She is not scared.  
Lilah walks past him, only stopping when she hears his voice. “You’re in danger,” he says. “He’s coming back. And he’ll bring a gift when you need it the most. Don’t give in. It’s what he wants.” And then, he’s gone.  
She blinks, still too sleepy to make anything out of the interaction. Instead, she walks towards the marketplace, towards the lull of voices and food. Vendors have already set up their wares, even though the day has just begun.  
“Lilah! I have pumpkin loaf. Come talk for awhile!”  
The Baker. She looks over, contemplating his offer. But today is important. She can’t be late. She waves her hand. Another time, the gesture says. The Baker nods understandingly before ducking back into his booth.  
The noises blend in together, but she hears one that catches her attention. A raven. She looks behind her, only to see none other than Dr. Jules. He is maskless, moving through the morning crowd without any fear. He hasn’t seemed to have spotted her yet.  
She makes the awful decision to go after him.  
The crowd is slow, but she watches him carefully. He is unguarded, relaxed. Idiot. She doubts there’s anyone who has forgotten his face. Then, the raven caws, attracting the Doctor’s gaze. He looks directly at her, She freezes, her pulse racing.  
Then, a cart rolls over her toes, and she’s distracted by the pain. When she looks up, he’s gone. She groans, thinking about her impulsive (and dumb) decision. What was she doing chasing him?  
What would’ve happened if she’d caught him?  
Lilah continues down the path, following a narrow stairwell. She stops for a second when she spies a fortune teller’s booth, remembering fondly of how Asra had been working in one when they’d met. She ducked her head down, trying to keep a low profile.  
“What are my lucky numbers again? Three, six, seven, nine. Ok. Three, six, seven, nine. Three, six, seve-”  
She’s lost in her thoughts when she crashes into the owner of the voice. The person yelps (strangely similar to Dr. Jules’ last night), releasing their basket of fruit, sending about a dozen pomegranates down the stairs.  
“Oh no. I’m already so late,” she says. Lilah picks up the fruits as fast as she can, trying to speed up the process for both of them. The woman helps, collecting the exotic fruits quickly.  
“That’s so kind of you. Especially since I bumped into you.” She says, thanking Lilah enthusiastically. She gives Lilah one of the fruit, winking. “Take care,” she says, joining the crowd.  
“That was Portia,” the fortune teller says, coughing into their sleeve. “The Countess’ favourite servant.” They stand at the entrance to their booth, eyeing her with the look she’d come to learn was common of people with a service to sell. “You look like a wanderer. Would you like to know where you’ll wander next?”  
“No thank you.”  
“As you wish. Your fate will come to you regardless. Remember that.”  
Lilah gives them a hesitant smile before starting back on her path.

It’s nearly dark, and she’s covered in sweat. The gates hide the palace, and guards hide the gate. The sight infront of her is almost worth all the walking. Almost.  
“Who’s there?”  
The guards stand symmetrically on either side of the gate. They have good posture and a strange statuelike stillness.  
“I’m Lilah, the Countess is expecting me,” she offers.  
They share a look. “We don't know about that. Tell us the code or leave.”  
She thinks to the servant infront of the fortune teller’s booth. Asra tells her that there’s a significance to everything, that nothing is ever really by mistake.   
The guards step back, each swinging open one of the gates. She straightens herself out, walking to the looming building infront of her.  
No going back now.


End file.
